Staci Phillips: No bias in election education

I was beside myself with the attitude of the online comments on this article.

Maybe, just maybe, these kids are being taught to have pride in their country and respect for the president.

Maybe, the reality of politics for kids (because these are children) is that the president runs our country because he is elected to do so. Maybe, they are learning to take part in a process that many of us take for granted.

My daughter’s kindergarten class is doing this voting and she chose President Obama. Politics are not discussed in front of my kids, so I was curious why she chose him.

Her simple response was: because he’s the president of the United States.

Before anyone wants to shoot off at the mouth about this, she is learning exactly what she needs to learn at her age; she’s a United States citizen, she gets to vote and the president is currently Barack Obama.

She doesn’t need some long, jaded diatribe about the candidates, their policies or their shortcomings. She also doesn’t need a lecture from me about how she came to her conclusion or how she should be voting.

To insinuate that liberal bias is what causes kids to mock vote for Barack Obama is ridiculous. It’s far more insulting to the men and women who spend hours with children educating them.

Last time I checked, my daughter has not come home filled with ideals on gun control, abortion, taxes, etc.

Seriously, the amount of cynicism the residents have for an event aimed at getting kids involved in an important process is just disturbing and sad.

Maybe next time before casting the liberal bias or teabaggers’ stamp on everything, others can look at the core of what people are trying to teach kids.